Kaya FC-Iloilo Back to Winning Ways, Complete Sweep of Mendiola FC 1991 Iloilo put six goals past the Brave Men to strengthen pole position in their late-season matchup.

Teams are taught to take what the defense gives them, which was exactly what the boys in yellow did to the tune of a 6-1 final scoreline. Kaya FC-Iloilo’s attack was near unstoppable on Sunday, while Mendiola FC 1991’s low block just couldn’t stay immovable over the course of ninety minutes. 

Six goals were scored by five different goalscorers, the majority of which came in the second half. Though not for lack of trying, Iloilo left a number of chances on the table that could’ve sealed the deal much earlier in the match.  

“We’re happy with the win, but we could’ve closed the game earlier in the first half,” stated midfielder Marwin Angeles. “We had so many attempts, but the most important thing is that we got the job done. We look forward to the next game, getting three points again, and finishing the league strong.”

Yellow shirts overran the final third, and the LBC-backed club put up a staggering twenty-nine shots—offsetting the early inaccuracies with sheer volume. Head Coach Yu Hoshide praised the team’s mentality in sticking with the game plan until the results followed. 

“Everybody was a little bit nervous in the beginning of the game, but the players played well overall—especially in the second half which was very good.” He added, “We have our motivation, and that is to win the title. That was really key for us in this match.”

Kaya now enter a lengthy break in the schedule before returning on May 20 against Maharlika Manila FC. Coach Hoshide had this to say about keeping the team ready for the final stretch of the season. 

“We still have three weeks until the next game, so we have time to prepare. Maintenance and recovery is also important as we near the end of the season. Then, we just have to win these next two games to win the title.”

“We’ll definitely have to regroup, I think that we need to keep going the way we’ve been going the whole season,” remarked Angeles. “We just need to keep grinding and keep training the same way we do every day.” 

“We go into every game with the same mentality to win, and I think that’s what we need to think about for the next game especially,” Maru added. “We want to win the league and we want to play in the [AFC] Champions League again, so that’s something we have to continue to work and prepare for.” 

 

Player Spotlight: 

Fullbacks For the Win
Fitch Arboleda and Mar Diano’s over and underlapping runs were key to overwhelming Mendiola’s trusty low block, allowing Kaya to flood the final third with numbers and attack at will. Fitch initiated the stellar sequence that led to Milad Behgandom’s opener, and Mar’s relentless running was rewarded with a goal from a set piece to double the lead. Every single Iloilo player is a credible goal threat, and these two bore that out in this match. 

Giganto’s Golazo
The misunderstanding surrounding the 80th minute drop ball soured the celebration of his first goal, so Eric took matters into his own hands and scored a proper stunner in additional time. Dribbling into firing range and putting his southpaw strike in the top bin, the Davao de Oro native added one for the highlight reels. 

Milad’s Mellow Moves 
Behgandom’s debut goal for Kaya was both well taken and well deserved, and he probably even could’ve had a hat trick or more. Between dropping down to battle it out in the midfield and setting up runners as a target man—Milad’s spell as the team’s frontman deserves its flowers.